Gweru water disconnections ignite typhoid fears

GWERU residents have slammed the local authority for resuming the disconnection of water supplies to its debtors in the high-density suburbs, saying the development has the potential to slide the communities back into the typhoid disaster.

The local authority had suspended the disconnections early this year before resuming the disconnections on Mkoba residents owing the council in water and rental arrears.

Gweru Residents' Forum (GRF) chairperson Charles Mazorodze told Southern Eye that the development was potentially catastrophic in a city recovering from a deadly typhoid outbreak.

"The city lost about 10 people and particularly in Mkoba suburb where the disconnections are happening. It's a sad chapter in our lives because without water from home taps, people will be tempted to resort to borehole water that was said to be carrying the typhoid [germ].

We expected the local authority to take this into consideration and avoid the disconnections, but our pleas have fallen on deaf ears," he said.

Mazorodze accused the municipality of confusing priorities, pumping a lot of money for officials to attend the recent Local Government Conference in Bulawayo.

"As GRF, we are disheartened by the behaviour of council in disconnecting water yet there are serious issues to do, with the billing system that also needs to be rectified," he said.